What Now?
by SerenBex
Summary: Set in the same AU as Not Another One?/Just Watch Me/Let It Be. What if Ronnie really was Katy's Mum? What would have happened? Written after someone asked me those very questions! Rated M mainly for language.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N: So, just before I ended **_**Let It Be**_**, someone sent me a message or left a review saying they'd love to see what would happen if Ronnie actually was Katy's Mum, rather than her sister. I cannot for the life of me remember who that was, but I loved the idea so this fic is dedicated to them! You probably know who you are! :)**_

_**Anyway, this is set mainly after Ronnie is released from Prison and shows how different things could have been if Katy found out she was Ronnie's daughter. It deviates from the other fics somewhere around chapter 60 of Not Another One? :)**_

_**Hope you enjoy it, anyway! :D**_

_**x**_

* * *

Katy stared in the mirror, desperately wondering what she should do about the situation she had found herself in. There were only two options as far as she could see; there was the right thing to do and there was the easy thing to do. It was so tempting to take the easy path and that was the route that Roxy and everyone else was telling her to take. But Katy knew, deep down, that she couldn't take that option. That would mean abandoning what her heart was telling her to do.

She couldn't betray Ronnie like that. She wouldn't abandon her mother.

A soft cry from the other room brought her out of her reverie and the young woman sighed, turning away from her reflection with a frown. The Katy in the mirror hadn't been any help in making her decision anyway.

Ronnie hadn't been there for the birth of her granddaughter. She had missed Ruby's first birthday. She had missed her second birthday, too, just a week and a half ago. There were so many things the woman had missed in the lives of the daughter who had been taken from her and the granddaughter she barely knew. Whatever had happened and however anyone else felt about Ronnie, Katy refused to let her miss out on anything else.

But, as well as that, the young woman was selfish. She wanted her mum back.

* * *

_**Early 2011 **_

_"I thought, at first, maybe Danielle had been lying about who she was after all. I thought maybe YOU were my Amy. When Auntie Peggy told me… I flew off the handle because the idea of you being actually related to me made me think that maybe I was right. Maybe I've been grieving for a daughter who was alive and well after all. Then Roxy showed me your birth certificate… But then I started thinking; birth certificates can be easily forged and there's something about you that I just..."_

_Katy and Ronnie stood in the middle of the road, staring at each other. The teenager wanted to believe that it could be true; that Ronnie really was her mother. But optimism wasn't something she was good at and she had other things to focus on. She needed to get to Connor at the hospital and sort things out once and for all._

_"Ronnie… this is crazy."_

_When the blonde spoke again, the teenager knew that she had upset her. Ronnie's tone was hard and cold and she barely looked at the younger Mitchell. "You're right. Let's get to the hospital and sort this out. Then we can go home and get back to normal."_

_For the rest of the day – during their trip to visit Connor, dumping the contents of the bag and muddling through the everyday things that needed to be done when they got home – Katy wondered whether Ronnie was angry with her. She barely looked at her, barely spoke to the teenager. Jack, still angry, almost refused to acknowledge her existence._

_Things remained tense for days; neither of them bringing up the conversation that had made things awkward between them. Slowly life got back to normal and by the time Katy returned to school after the two weeks she'd missed she felt as though Ronnie had put the idea that perhaps she was her daughter out of her mind. After walking home with Lauren and letting herself into the flat after her first day back at school, Katy decided to make a start on the pile of homework and catching up she had after her unplanned absence. She had just started making a dent in her History essay on the Battle of Bosworth when her older sister banged through the front door and announced that Phil was in hospital after having a heart attack. After asking Katy to watch James for a while, the blonde seemed to hesitate. Then Ronnie smiled and shook her head, leaving quickly._

_Not long after that the subject of their connection entered her mind again as, after Ronnie's protective fussing over her began to get irritating, Katy sarcastically called her Mum. That, in turn, led to an awkward conversation with Lauren about Ronnie's theory about their relationship._

_"Maybe she is your mum." Lauren had responded casually, earning herself a glare from her best friend. "I mean, she acts more like your mum than your sister, right. Roxy always acts more like a sister. You look a lot like her and sometimes you do or say things exactly like she would."_

_"Oh don't start, Lauren." Katy had snapped back. "I'm not her daughter."_

_And with that the subject was closed for another couple of weeks._

_It wasn't until the day Katy and Lauren returned from their English trip to Stratford – the day Katy revealed her pregnancy fears to her best friend – that Ronnie admitted to her younger sister what she had done._

_"What's silly Auntie Katy done now, hey? And what's silly Auntie Katy going to do?" The teenager had muttered to James, rocking him gently in her arms. Her attention was so focused on her worries that she didn't notice Ronnie returning to the room._

_"Hmmm?"_

_"Oh, nothing. I was just talking to myself, nothing new there." Katy replied quickly, her smile not meeting her eyes._

_Ronnie took the baby from her and bit her lip nervously, not meeting the younger woman's gaze. "She's a funny one, isn't she?" Looking towards her bedroom she seemed to take a breath. "I'm going to settle James down and then there's something I need to tell you; something really important."_

_That's when Katy started to worry. She was on tenterhooks until her sister reappeared, perching on the edge of the sofa and chewing on her nails as she waited to hear what Ronnie was going to tell her. All sorts of ideas were running through her mind; various things that could be wrong with various people. Her unease only grew when Ronnie perched on the seat beside her, looking as nervous as she felt._

_"Katy… I should have said something before… I should have told you as soon as I found out." She said in a quiet voice, completely avoiding meeting Katy's eyes._

_"What? Ronnie, what?"_

_"I'm your Mum."_

_Katy sighed, shaking her head. "Don't, Ronnie. Just tell me whatever it is you should have told me before."_

_"That was it, Katy." Ronnie said slowly, finally meeting the teenager's eyes. "I've been thinking about it ever since we talked about it and… I got in contact with some people. I called in some favours and got some people to make some calls and… this birth certificate," she carefully smoothed the folded piece of paper that Katy had originally used to convince her family of her identity on her knee, "it's fake, Katy. This is a faked birth certificate."_

_Katy's hands clenched around the paper she had snatched away from her sister. Her grip was so tight that one of her nails pierced the flimsy sheet and made a hole in it, right beside where it stated that Karen Parker was her mother. Tears stung in her eyes as she realised that either Ronnie was messing with her head or her whole life had been a lie._

_"How can you be sure?"_

_Standing, Ronnie walked over to the cabinet on the other side of the room and opened a drawer. Pulling out an envelope, she returned to sit beside the teenager. Slowly, she pulled several sheets of paper out and laid them carefully on the coffee table in front of them._

_"These are mine, Rox, Amy and James' birth certificates. Look at them. They look different."_

_"I don't… that doesn't…"_

_"Look at them, Katy. Someone faked your birth certificate." Ronnie clenched her hands into fists. "I'm guessing it was my father… Karen and Archie aren't your parents."_

_"Even… E-Even if that's true… what makes you so sure that I'm your daughter?" Katy demanded, unable to look at the papers anymore. With a flick of her wrist, she sent her birth certificate tumbling to the ground._

_"How could you not be, sweetie?" Ronnie asked gently, chuckling lightly and reaching out to lay a tentative hand on the girl's cheek. "I knew it… the first moment I saw you. I knew, deep down, who you were."_

_"But I... how can you… I…" Standing abruptly, Katy walked away and leant heavily against the far wall of the room, looking at her hands so that she wouldn't have to meet Ronnie's eyes. "I can't deal with this…"_

_"Please, Katy… let me–"_

_The brunette shook her head fiercely. "No! How can you be OK with this? You are… were… I thought you were my sister? I thought the woman I looked after for years, sacrificed so much for, was my mother. I thought I was an orphan."_

_"But you're not." Ronnie told her gently. "You have me and Jack and Roxy and Phil and everyone."_

_"That's not… that's not the point. I don't…" She started to laugh mirthlessly. "Oh, I really don't need this now…"_

_Ronnie looked at her for a moment, seeing that there was something serious bothering her. "What's wrong?"_

_"I think I'm pregnant, OK?" Katy screamed back, before bursting into tears. "I think I'm pregnant and I really, really needed my big sister."_

_"You've got something better." The blonde said, moving to the eighteen-year-old's side and cradling her tenderly in less than a second. "You've got a mum."_

* * *

That had been how two of the biggest bombshells to hit the Mitchell family had been revealed on the same day, within minutes of each other. The cynical part of Katy hadn't been convinced until she and Ronnie had taken a DNA test which had, beyond all doubt, proved that Ronnie's gut feeling had been correct.

The transition in their relationship had been hard; especially as Katy's pregnancy fears were confirmed and the realisation that there would be another baby in the family before long hit them. When Ronnie's behaviour became more and more erratic and worrying, the teenager tried to help her newly-discovered mother as she had helped her adoptive mother. The similarities in Ronnie and Karen's behaviour scared Katy, but no one seemed to take her seriously; or want to believe that she might be correct.

Katy was the only one who didn't seem surprised when Ronnie revealed the truth about James' death and her baby's true identity. When everyone else struggled to cope with the revelation and shockwaves that reverberated through, not just the Mitchells and Brannings but the entire Square, Katy stuck by her mother and offered her as much support as she could.


	2. Chapter 2

_**7**__**th**__** July 2011**_

Walking into the courtroom, heavily pregnant, Katy had felt as though it was her who was about to be sentenced. She had taken her seat between Jack and Roxy, feeling as though they were the only three who cared in the slightest what happened to her mum. Even then, Katy was saddened by the knowledge that she was the only one who never doubted the woman in the dock.

That morning had been hard; ridiculously hard. Roxy had refused to answer her phone or speak to her sister at all. She had barely acknowledged Katy as they passed each other on the Square; the teenager in search of her mother and her aunt leaving the Vic with Michael. Katy's lip had curled at the sight of the blonde with the man who had been tormenting her mother for months.

But then, in the stiflingly hot courtroom, surrounded by Jack's family who didn't really even want to be there, Katy had been angry. She had been absolutely furious. Even Jack, her step-father who loved Ronnie so much, had believed that she could have tried to snatch Tommy again that morning. Katy hadn't believed it for a second. She knew Ronnie wouldn't do that; she wasn't that stupid. It had made the teenager's blood boil as she shifted in her seat. She had been separated from the only person she wanted at that moment by a thin sheet of plastic or glass or whatever the hell it was attached to the dock where Ronnie stood.

The black maternity dress she had chosen to wear for the occasion felt as though it was getting tighter and tighter, squeezing all the air from her lungs as she sat in numb silence, letting everything going on in the room wash over her. Her daydreaming had only been interrupted when Roxy jumped to her feet, disputing something that Kat had written in her victim's statement.

"_This is not fair, OK?_" The blonde shouted in distress.

The judge had just arched an eyebrow at her. "_If you continue to disrupt court proceedings, I'll have you taken into custody for contempt–_"

"_My sister wouldn't laugh at you, alright, she wouldn't laugh at you. Her baby died as well, she–_"

"_This is your last warning._"

"_She was miserable with what she did!_" Roxy exploded, completely ignoring the threats the judge aimed at her.

"_I'm finding you in contempt–_"

"_And you know that, Kat._" The furious blonde continued regardless. "_You know that._"

"Rox… please…" Katy said, looking at her with wide, pleading eyes and trying to tug her back into her seat.

"_Take her down._"

"No!" Katy begged, turning to the judge. "Please, don't make her go. She'll be quiet. Auntie Rox…"

The blonde had simply looked at her niece for a moment, before smiling quickly and grabbing her bag. "_Fine._" As she made her way along the row, she stopped to jab her finger threateningly into Kat's expressionless face. "_This ain't right and you know it._"

There had been silence as Roxy was escorted out, before the judge asked the prosecution barrister to continue reading the victim's statement. Everyone was uncomfortable as the woman continued. Katy brushed Jack's arm away from her shoulders, not wanting him to attempt to comfort her. She didn't want her step-father any more than she really wanted her aunt. She wanted Ronnie.

As the prosecution sat down and the defence barrister stood up, the doors had opened and Lauren had appeared. She met Katy's eye briefly, but the Mitchell glared at her before looking pointedly away. She had enough to worry about without bothering about why Lauren was late. The least she could have done was to turn up on time to support her supposed best friend, if not Ronnie herself.

"_Stop!_" Ronnie's voice cut through the teenager's thoughts and caused her head to snap up so sharply she thought she might have given herself whiplash. "_Stop, I don't want him to say any more._"

"_Sorry, Your Honour, if I could just speak to my client._"

"_No. I… I've changed my mind._"

"_My client is in a very vulnerable state._"

"_I don't want anything said._" Ronnie continued vehemently. She stared straight at the judge, ignoring all of the confused and scared faces aimed in her direction. "_I don't want any excuses made. There aren't any excuses for what I did._"

"Mum…"

Katy got no further with her plea, before she was silenced by a look from the judge. "_Very well, unless you have anything else for us, Mrs Bartlett?_"

"_No, Your Honour._" The prosecution barrister had said, smirking as she barely stood to give her answer.

"_Then I'll proceed to sentencing._" The judge announced. Katy closed her eyes, biting her lip so hard that she drew blood and clenching her hands into fists at her sides. "_This is a case involving a mother who has lost her child and, while her personal circumstances are tragic, to deprive another family of their new-born child in such a manipulative way and for a prolonged period of time means that realistically there is only one sentence which is appropriate… immediate custody._"

"No!" Katy couldn't help the shout that had escaped from her lips as she looked between Ronnie and the judge desperately. "Please, you can't! I need her… I need my mum."

"Silence." The judge ordered, although her tone was soft and pitying. "_Taking into account the mitigating factors, the reports… the personal circumstances,_" her eyes lingered on the tearstained face of the pregnant teenager for a moment or two, "_the least sentence that I can impose is three years._" Katy gasped, hot tears spilling down her cheeks as she processed to what the judge had said. "_Take her down._"

"_No!_" Kat got to her feet, looking panicked. "_Wait, wait… this ain't right. Look, Ronnie, those things I said to you, I was upset. I was really upset. I don't want her to go to prison._" She said, looking directly at the judge. "_I don't. I thought I did, but I don't._"

"_I'm afraid it's not up to you to decide, Mrs Moon._"

"_You can't take her, she's lost her baby! She's like me, she lost her baby! The only difference is I got mine back!_" They started to lead Ronnie out of the dock and away. Kat rounded the partition and moved to stand in front of the blonde. "_Ronnie… Ronnie! Ronnie I don't want this._" She placed one hand flat on the clear barrier between them. "_Ronnie you were right… me and you, we are the same. I forgive you. I forgive you._"

Ronnie exhaled sharply, a small smile twisting her lips. Raising her hand, she placed it flat against the barrier on her side, directly over where the darker woman's hand was. They smiled sadly at each other for a moment, before Ronnie's eyes moved over to the gallery, first landing on her husband's and then on her daughter's. She sent them both an equally sad smile, before turning and leaving the courtroom.

Jack reached out to Katy but she shrugged him off, standing up and pushing her way along the row and slamming out of the room. She didn't want to see anyone or speak to anyone.

* * *

Those years had gone past slowly. Things had changed drastically since Ronnie had been sentenced. Katy had given birth just shy of two months later and her daughter, named Ruby Margaret Veronica Mitchell, was perhaps the only thing that helped to anchor her. Without Ronnie to demand it of her, Katy had left school at the end of that term. She had only been going to keep her mother happy anyway and, with a baby and no real incentive to stay on, the teenager couldn't be bothered to stay for her last year. Instead she almost forced Phil to let her help manage the R&R, something that she proved a natural at.

Katy and Ruby had hopped around various homes over the past couple of years. They had stayed with Jack for a while, before moving in with Roxy. Then, when the blonde and her daughter had moved in with Alfie at the Vic, they had gone to live at Phil's until, after one disagreement too many about whether or not Phil got to have an opinion on how close Katy and Shirley were, they had gone to stay with Carol and the Butchers for a while. When it had got a bit cramped in their house, they had reluctantly accepted Jack's offer to move back into her old bedroom in his flat.

Her step-father was rarely around and, when he was, Jack and Katy behaved more like strangers who happened to be sharing a relatively small space than family. It was too painful for both of them to act as though nothing had happened. Gradually their relationship deteriorated even further; especially after Sharon and Dennis moved in.

And now, Katy found herself staring in the mirror in the family bathroom she shared with her daughter and, formerly, Sharon's son, which seemed barely any more personal than the bathroom in a hotel. Two toothbrushes stood in the glass fixed to the wall beside the mirror; one lime green and one pastel pink with Disney princesses on it. Three tubes of toothpaste stood in the glass affixed on the opposite side; one Colgate Max White, one strawberry flavoured Hello Kitty and a bubblegum flavoured Moshi Monsters tube. Katy thought, perhaps, she should give Dennis' toothpaste back to his mother. On the other hand, she thought that maybe she should just bin it.

Occasionally Jack and Katy, due to Sharon's insistence that it wasn't good for her precious Denny to be surrounded by clutter, would argue over the number of bottles that littered the floor of the shower cubical or the edge of the bath. It was one of the small, insignificant matters that often descended into a full blown argument that usually resulted in one or other of them threatening to leave, but neither actually making the move and doing so.

When Jack and Sharon split up and the woman and her son moved out of the flat, it had not been a moment too soon as far as Katy was concerned. It also helped to repair some of the damage that had been done to her relationship with her step-father. They started getting on better, even acting like father and daughter again on the odd occasion.

The sound of Ruby calling for her again brought her out of her daydream and she stared into the sink where she had absentmindedly squirted half her toothpaste. Sighing, she ran the tap and cleaned up the mess quickly, before heading into her bedroom and getting herself and her daughter ready for the day ahead.

* * *

_**A/N: Thank you to those of you who've reviewed etc so far! I'm glad you seem to be enjoying it already! :D**_

_**x**_


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N: I've decided that this should be updated bi-weekly rather than weekly, otherwise you'll probably be reading about Christmas/New Year in April or something ;)**_

_**I hope that's OK with you guys? :P**_

_**x**_

* * *

"Roxy? What time does Mum get out later?" Katy asked, clamping her mobile between her ear and her shoulder as she navigated across the road to the nursery, weaving expertly between the crowds of people heading to work with Ruby's pushchair.

"I… this afternoon. Four o'clock." The blonde replied hesitantly.

"Are we going together, then?"

There was a long pause. "Katy… I…"

The younger of the two stopped, her hand hovering over the bell to the nursery as she realised the cause of her aunt's discomfort. "He's kicked off about it, hasn't he?"

"Alfie doesn't want Ronnie around Tommy." Roxy admitted. "Katy… I can't…"

"Right, fine, whatever." The young woman smiled as the door to her daughter's nursery was opened by one of the assistants and she manoeuvred the pushchair inside clumsily. "I've got to go, anyway. Laters."

Hanging up, she did her best not to let her upset and frustration show with the young woman, about her age, who was helping Ruby out of her coat. Handing over the back pack that contained her snacks and a spare change of clothes, Katy said goodbye and left, heading back to Albert Square to open up the R&R.

She grinned at Joey who was leaning against the wall, waiting for her to unlock the doors and let him in to begin his shift. They had gone out for a couple of months, but their relationship had quickly fizzled out as neither could give up any control of their lives to the other. They were much better off as friends, they had both decided, which suited them fine. Katy wasn't good with complicated things.

"I hope you ain't gonna dock my wages seeing as you're twenty minutes late?" Joey joked as she unlocked the door and moved inside to type the code into the alarm.

Shooting him a look, Katy didn't respond. She went into the office and dropped her bag on the desk, dropping into the executive chair and resting her head back with a sigh. She could see Joey hovering in the doorway out of the corner of her eye, but made no indication that she had noticed his presence. After a couple of moments, he moved further into the room and leant against the desk.

"Your mum gets out today, don't she?"

"Yeah. About four o'clock."

"You gonna be there?"

"I don't know." Katy admitted quietly. "I want to be, but… I don't know."

"Why? Not 'cos of this place?" His boss shot him a look that clearly indicated that was a stupid question. "So what's the problem?"

"You've heard what she did, right?" She asked. "She swapped her dead baby with Tommy Moon. She let us believe that Tommy was James, my brother, for months. She let Kat and Alfie believe that their son was dead."

Joey looked a little confused. "So you're angry with her?"

Katy shook her head slowly. "No, I'm not. Her baby died. She wasn't herself when she did what she did. And… she's my mum. Whatever she did, she's still my mum."

"So…?"

"I'm not the only person living on the Square, am I?" The young woman asked meaningfully with a deep sigh that made her whole body shudder. "Jack and Kat and Alfie and even Roxy won't make things easy for her. Maybe it's best if she doesn't come back here at all."

"But she's your mum. You want her around, right?"

There was a pause. "Not if she'd be better off out of it."

"So what are you gonna do? You've got… just over five and a half hours to decide what you're gonna do." Joey said, perching on the desk and looking at her carefully. "If you want someone to go with you…"

"I think it would be better if I didn't take my ex along to pick my mum up from prison." She inhaled sharply and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Right, well, you've got work to do and so have I."

Taking the hint, he nodded. "OK. If you need me, I'll be sorting the boxes in the stock room."

Burying herself in the club's accounts, Katy didn't notice the time flying past. She went out for lunch, nodding at Joey and the other bar staff as she left and then returned and carried on with her work in the peace and quiet of the office. Her mobile remained silent and, with nothing to distract her, she managed to complete everything she had been planning. The problem was that when she saved the spreadsheet she'd been working on and closed it down, she realised that it was already half an hour past her mother's release time.

Grabbing her mobile and scrolling through her recent contacts until she reached Roxy's name, she unlocked the office door and made her way into the main part of the bar, looking for Joey.

"Why didn't you say something about the time?" She hissed at the barman as she waited for her call to connect. "Why didn't you realise I hadn't left?"

Joey held up his heads. "Hey, I knocked on the door but it was locked and there was no reply. What was I supposed to do? I thought you'd left without saying anything."

"Right, well, obviously I–" Katy stopped as Roxy's voice entered her ear. "Rox. Did you get mum?"

"No… I thought you would?"

"I was… I… So no one went to collect her? She's on her own?"

"Shit…"

Katy squeezed her eyes closed and chewed her lip, feeling as though her insides were made of lead. "I'm gonna get down the prison and see if they know where she went or… or whether I can find her." She paused, lowering her voice slightly. "Will you come with me?"

"I… Alfie's taking me out for dinner."

"That's more important than your sister?"

"Please, Katy, don't do this."

The young woman scowled at the wall in front of her. "Right, whatever. I'm gonna pick Ruby up on my way. I'll talk to you later. Maybe."

Hanging up without waiting for a response, Katy grabbed her bag and said a quick goodbye to the staff, leaving Joey in charge until Sharon turned up for the start of her shift at six. Making it to the nursery in record time, the young woman collected her daughter and jumped into a cab, ignoring the man's moaning as he struggled to collapse the pushchair and fit it in his boot. He complained even more when Katy told him where she wanted to go.

She sighed loudly, signalling that she wasn't interested in his opinion on her destination. Staring out of the window she watched as they travelled through the streets towards the prison where her mum had lived for the last few years. Now that they were getting closer, Katy's stomach began to churn and she started to feel ashamed. She should never have even considered not going to collect Ronnie. She should never have worried about how it would affect her.

Paying the driver, who grudgingly unloaded the pram, Katy reassembled it and strapped her daughter in carefully. She pushed it confidently towards the small door in the larger one in the wall of the prison and knocked firmly. She had been there countless times to visit Ronnie, less often than she'd like towards the end, but this time was so different that it was unnerving.

"Veronica Mitchell was being released today. Do you know if someone came to collect her or…"

"No idea, sweetheart." The burly prison guard replied with a shrug. "But she ain't here either way."

"I don't suppose you have any clue about where she is?" Katy asked with a sigh, anticipating the answer.

"Nope."

Turning on her heels and starting to walk away from the prison, Katy exhaled deeply again. She paused briefly when a deep voice called after her, telling her that there was a café she could try just round the corner. Without looking back, the young woman aimed the pushchair in the direction the guard had indicated and stalked off in search of her mother.

The café was busy, but there was no sign of the blonde she was looking for. Manoeuvring the pushchair between the tables, the young woman leant on the counter and asked whether the woman working behind it had seen anyone who matched Ronnie's description. The woman nodded and told her that, yes there had been a blonde woman in her thirties in the café.

"She was here with a brunette woman who looked about her age, maybe a bit older. They left about ten, fifteen minutes ago."

"Did you catch a name?" Katy asked, almost desperately.

"I dunno… I think the blonde called the other woman Nat or Kat or something." The waitress said with a shrug.

"Kat? Are you sure?"

"Pretty sure, yeah." The woman replied. "Can I get you anything?"

"No… no." Katy shook her head and began to make her way out of the café. "Thanks."


	4. Chapter 4

Katy didn't know what to do. She stood on the pavement outside the café and looked up and down the street, wondering just how long ago Kat and her mother had left. There was no sign of anyone around and she rubbed her forehead agitatedly.

Pulling out her mobile, she selected Roxy's number in her recent contacts and held it to her ear. It rang for a while, before the answerphone kicked in. With a frown, the young woman tried again. This time it went straight to the snooty, mechanical-sounding woman who told her that she could leave a message. Realising that Roxy must have hung up on her, Katy scowled at her mobile and threw it into her bag.

Holding out a hand, she attracted the attention of a cab and headed swiftly back to Albert Square. This cab driver was much more friendly than the previous one, but Katy found she didn't much care. As soon as she and Ruby were settled in the back, she rooted around in her bag and found her phone, clutching it tightly in her hands and glancing at it every two minutes.

They were about five minutes from home when it began ringing and Katy fumbled to answer it quickly, holding it tightly against her ear.

"Hello?"

"Katy? Sweetie is that you?"

"Mum." She breathed, a smile curling her lips. She leant her head back against the headrest. "Where are you?"

"I'm… I'm at Kat's."

"Why?"

"She came to see me at Prison. I… you and Roxy weren't there and I thought…"

"I had to pick Ruby up on my way." Katy half-lied, guilty about putting the blame on her daughter. "You'd gone when I got here. The guard didn't know where you'd gone or if anyone had come to get you. I went to that café and the woman said you'd been there with a brunette and not long left."

"Where are you now?"

"Just…" She looked out of the window and smiled. "Just coming into the Square now. We'll come straight over to Kat's if… if that's OK?"

"Of course it's OK, baby!" Ronnie told her firmly. "I can't wait to see you both."

Katy smiled to herself and unbuckled her seatbelt as soon as the driver stopped the cab. She climbed out, tipping him generously. The man smiled, only too happy to benefit from the young woman's good mood. Katy secured Ruby in her pushchair, smiling happily and telling her that they were going to see Grandma.

Holding her breath as she knocked on Kat's door, Katy picked Ruby up and bounced her nervously on her hip. After a couple of moments an anxious looking Kat opened the door and looked at her. She sighed and stepped backwards, indicating that the younger woman should go inside. Katy parked the pushchair at the foot of the stairs and waited for the older woman to show her where to go.

Kat pushed opened the living room door and tactfully went into the kitchen, leaving the Mitchells alone. There was a pause as they looked at each other. Then Ronnie stepped forward, tears running down her face and cupped her daughter's, stroking her thumb gently along Katy's cheek bone.

"I missed you."

"I missed you too, Mum." The brunette said quietly, closing her eyes. Ronnie leant forward and rested her forehead against Katy's. "I really, really missed you."

They took some time just talking quietly and allowing all three of them to get reacquainted. Ruby was fascinated with her grandmother and kept reaching out to touch her hair, which greatly amused both women. She was also very taken by the locket that Ronnie wore on a long chain around her neck.

"There's a photo of your mummy in here." Ronnie said gently, flicking the locket open and showing the little girl. "And there's one of you on the other side."

"What is the deal with the lockets?" Katy asked cautiously as Ruby examined it closely. "I mean… wasn't that what convinced you that Danielle was your daughter in the first place." When Ronnie looked at her blankly, she chewed the inside of her cheek and shrugged. "I mean, that's what Roxy told me."

Katy had never asked her mother about the jewellery before. She hadn't really found the right moment between discovering who her parents were and Ronnie being sent to prison with everything else that was going on. Then, while her mother was inside, it hadn't really crossed her mind. Now, seeing Ronnie showing it to her daughter so proudly, Katy was curious again.

"I assume that when I gave the second locket to you when you were a baby, the one with a photo of me inside it so that you'd know what I looked like and that I loved you, my dad did a deal or threatened someone so that they gave it to another baby. That's how I guessed Danielle ended up with it. I don't know for sure, but it's the only explanation I have."

The younger woman nodded slowly and wondered, not for the first time, just how evil Archie had been and how he got like that. He had taken his daughter's baby away and allowed her to think that she was his child and that she wanted nothing to do with her. He had allowed a mentally unstable woman, who wasn't even capable of taking care of herself, to raise his own granddaughter, with absolutely no help or support from him. He had told Ronnie she was dead. He had allowed Danielle to believe that Ronnie was her mother. When Danielle was dead, he had allowed Ronnie to believe that she was as well.

He was pure evil.

"So… what's your plan?" Katy asked, shaking her head slightly to remove all thoughts of Archie from it. "Are you going to stay around here?"

"No… I can't. We'll go somewhere new; start a fresh. We can go anywhere."

"We? Mum… I can't just leave. I have a life here; friends, a job…"

Ronnie leant forward and squeezed her hands. "I can't stay, sweetie. Please… I know Roxy won't come. Kat told me about her and Alfie…"

"Mum… please just… stay on the Square. It'll be OK. You've got family here… and friends. Roxy loves you, she does. And Amy… she's been asking about you. She started school last week… she's dying to show you her new uniform." Katy sighed. "We'll make it work."

Ronnie wasn't convinced, but Katy persuaded her to give it a couple of weeks and, if she still wanted to leave, they could discuss it properly. Some people were still actively avoiding Ronnie in the street or sending her suspicious looks. Most, though, seemed to have put the past behind them and were acting completely normally towards the blonde.

She moved into number 55 and, glad to be getting out of the strange atmosphere at Jack's that her mum's return had caused, Katy and Ruby soon moved into Phil's house, too. Keen to prove that Ronnie was no more dangerous than anyone else on the Square, Katy made a point of leaving her mother in charge of Ruby whenever she was out. It seemed to help people forget the past when they saw Ronnie pushing her granddaughter's pushchair around or bouncing her on her hip in the Minute Mart or talking to her at a table in the café.

The only part of their lives that was still strained was where Roxy fitted in. After Alfie had forced his girlfriend to choose between him and her sister, Ronnie and Roxy had continued to see each other in secret. Katy commented dryly that it was like they were having an affair. She felt sorry for her aunt, though, knowing how hard she was finding the whole situation.

One Monday morning when Katy was getting ready for work, she went into her mother's bedroom to borrow a top Ronnie had bought the day before. She frowned at the sight of the bed, which had clearly not been slept in. Deciding to confront Ronnie about it when she saw her at the club later, Katy continued getting ready for her day, dropping Ruby off at the childminder's before heading over to open up the R&R.

She was working on some fliers for a new promotion when the office door opened and the blonde walked in, sending her a smile before dropping onto the sofa and flinging one arm across her eyes.

"Where the hell were you last night?" Katy demanded, slightly amused, leaning forwards and resting her elbows on the desk.

"Jack's."

The brunette's eyebrows shot up. "So are you and him…?"

"I don't know." Ronnie admitted. "I hope so."

"I'm glad."

"You are? Really?"

Katy grinned, leaning back in her chair. "Of course. He makes you happy. I love him and Ruby adores him. It's win-win, really."

Ronnie laughed. Then she stood up and moved towards the desk. "Alright, shift, I need to do some work."

Sighing, her daughter rose from the chair and flopped down on the recently vacated sofa. It had, when Phil first put Ronnie in charge of his businesses while he was recovering in hospital, been a kick in the teeth to the young woman who couldn't understand why she wasn't the obvious first choice to hold the fort at the club. But then it occurred to her that letting Ronnie feel as though she was a vital part in the Mitchell Empire would help her settle back into her normal life.

A short time passed and then Ronnie let out an exasperated sigh. "I've got to run back to the house and grab one of the files I left there." She explained, heading for the door. "Think you can cope without me?"

Katy rolled her eyes and looked up from the magazine she was flicking through. "Duh."

"Don't work too hard; you'll tire yourself out."

"There's a delivery coming in any minute. I'll have to sort that, actually." The brunette replied, poking her tongue out. "Don't skive for too long."


	5. Chapter 5

Katy returned to her magazine once her mother had left. She only got through a couple more pages before Joey appeared to tell her the delivery had arrived and she hauled herself up to go and supervise the unloading. To her immense irritation there were huge differences between what had been ordered and what was being delivered. After an intense argument with the driver, who refused to accept that he had brought the wrong stock, she headed down to the office to collect the invoice to prove that she was right.

Grabbing her mobile off the desk, she pushed it into her pocket before returning outside with the list in her hand, shoving it under his nose. As he perused it, still not convinced that he or his company was in the wrong, Katy felt her phone vibrating and answered it quickly.

"Yeah, Mum, what's up?"

"Can you come home?"

"Not really… I've got a fucking joker here who's trying to unload the wrong stuff on me and making out it's my fault." She snapped, glaring at the man who scowled back at her. "I swear to god I'm gonna get his ass fired if he doesn't stop being such a dick."

"But I really–"

"I'm kinda busy."

Ronnie sighed. "I had to pick up Lexi from the childminder. Lola and Billy weren't answering and–"

"You'll be fine." Katy assured her more gently. "Look, as soon as I'm done here I'll come over, if it makes you feel better."

"Please do."

"You've looked after Rubes plenty of times. You're fine, Mum."

"It's different!" Ronnie told her, sounding worried. "Ruby's my granddaughter and you trust me. Lola's made it very clear she doesn't."

Katy shook her head, pointedly ignoring the man who was trying to catch her attention. "Lola's an idiot. I will make sure she knows she's an idiot if she does anything but thank you for looking after her daughter."

"Just… please come home as soon as you can." Her mother begged. "I don't want Lola to find me here alone with Lexi. I don't think I can… I can't…"

"I'll be there as soon as I've sorted this." Katy assured her, sending the man another glare. "But you are more than capable. I trust you and I have faith in you, OK?"

With another sigh, Ronnie hung up the phone and the brunette turned back to the delivery driver. It took a long time before they came to an agreement about what to do about the mix up. In the end, they crossed off the items that he had brought correctly and arranged for the rest to be delivered the next day. The man was still adamant that the fault was with Katy, even after seeing the evidence in black and white that it was completely his problem.

Making up her mind to find new, more reliable suppliers as soon as she could, Katy told Joey she was popping home for a bit and headed back towards number 55. She let herself in through the back door and walked into the living room in time to see Lola unclipping the straps and lifting Lexi out of her pram.

"_I didn't do anything to her._" Ronnie was saying shakily, standing away from the pram and looking to Billy. "_That woman Megan she just dropped her off… I... I didn't know what to do…_" She jumped as Katy moved to stand next to her, squeezing her arm and smiling reassuringly. "_I mean, she's alright though, isn't she? She's alright._"

"_We knew she would be, didn't we?_" Billy told her soothingly, looking at Lola who didn't seem the slightest bit sure.

"_Yeah._" The young mum agreed unconvincingly. "_Yeah, course we did. I mean, you're family, ain't ya?_"

Ronnie nodded and then turned to Katy, who smiled. "I'll meet you back at the club, Mum, yeah? I need to grab my phone charger." Once the blonde had gone, Katy turned to glare at her cousins. "She would never, ever hurt Lexi. You know that, right?"

"Course we do!" Billy replied instantly.

"She was terrified about being here on her own with her." The brunette told them. "She phoned me in a panic, worried about what you'd think or say. Mum begged me to come home and take over."

"I didn't…"

"You didn't think that she'd be scared?"

"No, I just…"

"She's not crazy or dangerous or anything like that." Katy sighed, her voice softening. "She lost her baby. Her baby died and… I can't imagine how I'd even start dealing with losing Ruby. How would you cope if it was Lexi? It was bad enough for you when she was living here… what if she was gone completely?"

Lola sniffed, cradling her daughter tighter. "You're right. Ronnie's family and we need to make sure she knows that we believe in her, yeah?"

Katy smiled. "Yeah."

x-x

Deciding that she needed a drink, Katy stopped in at the Vic on her way back to the club. Michael was on his way out as she walked through the doors and stopped, deliberately blocking her path to look her up and down, his familiar sneer firmly in place. She stopped, folding her arms and glaring at him.

"Alright, quick and easy?"

"Alright, wanker?" She replied, not taking any notice of the insult. It was one of many that he threw her way on a regular basis and she gave as good as she got.

He smirked. "Jack and Ronnie back together, eh?"

"Yeah? And what?" She raised an eyebrow. "Was that supposed to surprise me?"

"So you know?"

"Of course I know. She's my mum."

Michael laughed to himself. "Roxy's her sister, but she still had to hear the good news from me."

Katy scowled. "Asshole."

With a mock bow, he pushed past her and left the pub. Katy shook her head and made her way up to the bar, desire for a drink forgotten, to speak to her aunt. Roxy looked slightly shell-shocked and more than a little upset.

"You alright?"

"I've just been told by Michael… Michael sodding Moon… that my sister is back with her ex-husband." Roxy muttered irritably. "And Alfie is acting all… weird and angry."

"Yeah… Mum would have wanted to tell you herself, but things have been a bit… crazy… today."

Roxy nodded and then exhaled sharply. "You alright?"

"Course. When am I not?" The brunette chuckled. Then she rocked backwards, pushing off from the surface of the bar. "I'd better get back to work. I'll see you later, OK?"

When she walked into the office, however, she turned and walked straight back out again. Jack and Ronnie were curled up on the sofa with a romantic picnic in front of them and the young woman didn't want to intrude. She wasn't even sure whether they were aware of her brief presence. Smiling to herself, she decided to go and grab a sandwich from the café.

x-x

The relative calm surrounding the family was short-lived. When Katy returned to the club and found Jack had left, she and Ronnie lapsed into silence, each getting on with their own tasks. When one of the bar staff poked her head around the office door to report a problem with one of the optics, Katy volunteered to sort it.

She returned, a short while later and found Carl standing beside the desk, her mother sitting defiantly in her chair with her arms folded.

"_Yeah, but maybe who I know makes me untouchable._" Ronnie was saying in a tone that clearly indicated that she was slightly amused by the man. "_Look, I'm not scared of you. There is nothing that you can do that makes me scared of you._"

There was a pause and then Carl slammed his hand down on the wooden surface beside the blonde, clearly attempting to startle her. Ronnie barely even flinched.

"_D'you wanna hit me?"_ Climbing to her feet and fixing him with a furious scowl, she stepped into his personal space threateningly. "_D'you wanna hit me? Go on then. Hit me._" She lowered her voice and stared him out. "_I told you, my answer is no._"

Carl raised his finger and pointed at her. "_You flinched._"

Katy moved forward, putting herself between the man and her mother. "I think you need to get out."

He smirked. "Aww, sweet? You trying to protect mummy?"

With a cold laugh, the younger woman stepped towards him. "Actually, no. She doesn't need protecting. I just don't want either of us to do something we might not actually regret, but that we probably shouldn't do."

"You heard her." Ronnie agreed, placing her hand on Katy's shoulder. "Get out."

When he had left, Katy turned quickly and shot her mother a look. "You OK?"

"Course." The blonde said confidently. "It'll take more than the likes of him to rattle me."


	6. Chapter 6

A couple of days later, Ronnie and Katy went to the club to find that the door frame smashed in and the door itself swinging on its hinges. They immediately knew that Carl must be behind it, but he seemed determined to make his presence felt in the club and around the Square. Neither woman allowed themselves to be intimidated, but he refused to give up, using Ruby as leverage to make them feel threatened.

Katy was furious, but Ronnie calmed her down and reminded her that there was no way Carl was going to get to the little girl. They continued to stand up to the man but, although neither said it out loud, both women were secretly relieved when Phil returned to the Square and made it very clear that he wanted Carl to stay out of his business and away from his family.

As Ronnie got more and more comfortable with her life outside prison, Katy was beginning to struggle. Having her mother back was the best thing she could have hoped for, but it was also becoming a strain. She was used to looking after herself and doing what she wanted; only getting help when, on the rare occasion, she asked for it. Having someone constantly there was driving her crazy.

"I thought we could go up West." Ronnie suggested as soon as Katy walked through the door after taking Ruby to nursery a week after Phil was discharged from hospital. "Do some shopping, have lunch… just spend some time together."

"Oh… I've got plans." Her daughter replied glancing up from her mobile and looking a little sheepish. "Sorry… maybe another day."

"Plans? With who?"

Katy frowned. "Just some mates. Lauren and Whit, if you must know. I barely ever get to see them what with all of us busy all the time."

"Oh… OK." Ronnie agreed with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes. "Maybe another time." She picked up her mug and clutched it tightly. "What time will you be back?"

"Why?" The young woman sighed, looking irritated by all the questions.

"I just want to know what time to get dinner ready for, that's all. But I'm your mum, anyway, so I don't think it's unreasonable of me to ask about what you're doing."

Something inside Katy snapped. She dropped her mobile onto the table with a clatter and scowled at Ronnie. She braced herself on the table so that she could lean across it and glare at the blonde. "No. No, you do not get to use the 'I'm your mother' card on me. Fuck! You've been my mother for about four months in my entire life. Four months after I discovered that I had a mum who actually loved me you fucking left me again."

"That wasn't… I didn't…"

"No, stop. I _know_ you didn't want to leave me either time. But you did. You weren't there when I needed you." Katy shook her head and stood up straight. "I can't imagine what you went through when James died. But it wasn't just you who suffered. Jack and Roxy and me and Amy and Kat and Alfie and everyone else who's remotely connected to this family suffered too. We all lost James and we all lost you. And you can't change that and I'm not even blaming you for that. Like I said, I can't imagine what it was like and I can't say that I wouldn't have done the same; no one can. But you can't just expect me to pretend nothing's happened."

"I don't expect that." Ronnie told her quickly, her eyes pleading with the younger woman to listen. "But you have to give me a chance to make it up to you."

"I _am_ giving you a chance." Katy said in a hard tone. "I'm fucking here, aren't I?"

"Physically, yes."

"Ronnie… I love you, but I can't just forget the last two years, let alone the eighteen before that. There's stuff I need to work through. There's so much that you don't know; so many things I couldn't tell you while you were in prison for various reasons."

"Like what?"

"Tyler, for one… I honestly thought that me and him would work out. He never judged me, he never held my past against me. He knew about Ruby's dad and everything and he didn't care. But… he was Alfie's cousin and Michael's brother and every time he looked at Tommy he was reminded about what you did." Katy admitted bitterly. "It tore us apart and eventually we couldn't even be in the same room as each other anymore. Then I did what I always do and destroyed it beyond repair."

A tear rolled down Ronnie's cheek. "I'm sorry."

Katy shrugged. "It's not your fault, not really. It didn't have to get in the way; look at Rox and Alfie. They've managed to get past it."

"What else couldn't you tell me?"

Glancing at the time, Katy chewed her lip nervously, wishing she hadn't started this conversation. "I've got to go. I'm supposed to–"

"No." Ronnie rounded the table and grasped her daughter's upper arms tightly. "No, you're going to stay and talk to me. OK, so I've got to earn your trust again, but you at least have to let me."

"Heather… I was there."

The blonde's grip loosened and a sharp breath escaped and caused Katy's fringe to flutter slightly. "You were… you were there?"

"I… Ben was kicking off about something or other and Jay and I tried to calm him down. He… he wouldn't listen. Heather tried to stop him going in George's room and he… he just hit her. He picked up the photo frame and hit her in the head. There was so much blood… it was everywhere." She swallowed thickly. "I tried to save her, Mum. I did. But there was nothing I could do. Phil found me and Jay in The Arches. He burnt our jackets and sorted things. We had to go back and eat Chinese with everyone to celebrate Phil getting out of the nick…"

"Sweetheart…"

"I didn't know what to do or who to talk to. I couldn't tell Shirl… she was convinced that I had nothing to do with it. She was like a mum to me while you were… well, I couldn't bear to see her face if she found out…" She shook her head. "She still doesn't know I was there when Heather died. The only people who knew were Ben, Jay, Phil and Rox."

"Roxy knew?" Ronnie asked, sounding hurt.

"She was great. She looked after me and Ruby when I couldn't cope."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Katy looked at her in disbelief. "Really? You have to ask why I didn't walk into prison and tell you that I'd witnessed a murder? Admit that I'd covered up for Ben; that I'd lied to the police for him while surrounded by prison guards? I'd have been locked up for sure." She snorted. "And I was not going to let that happen. I went to extreme lengths to make sure that didn't happen."

"What are you talking about?" Her mother asked, dreading the answer.

"I had to make sure that fingers were firmly pointed away from me. I wasn't going to let Ruby grow up without me."

"What did you do?"

"If anyone was going down for it, it was going to be Ben." Katy said bluntly. "I just made sure they wouldn't be looking for anyone else."

"Ben's family!" Ronnie hissed at her. "He's your cousin! We don't sell our family to the police."

"Like him and Phil wouldn't have put the blame on me and Jay if they had the chance. Family's all well and good, but in the end you've got to look after yourself."

Ronnie sighed deeply, turning away for a moment, before looking back at her daughter determinedly. "I'm always going to be here for you. From now on, whenever you need me, I'll be here."

"That's just it." The brunette smiled sadly. "As much as I want you around, Mum, I don't need you. I don't need anyone."

"Everyone needs someone." Ronnie told her, trying hard not to let the devastation Katy had caused with her words show.

"No… they don't. I'm stronger on my own. I love you, Mum. I want you around. But I don't need you. We survived when you weren't here and we could do it again. I wouldn't want to, but I could. I dealt with things my way."

"Things? What things?"

"Just… things. Things that aren't important now. Things that you don't need to know about."

"Katy… what have you–?"

Grabbing her bag, the brunette headed for the door. "I'll be back about six, OK? Have a good day."

x-x

On Carol's birthday, Katy and Ruby went to the Butchers with Jack for her party. Phil had tried telling her and Jay that they should be snubbing the Brannings because of Max's apparent involvement in his hospitalisation. Katy didn't buy it at all; Max was capable of a lot of things, but she doubted he'd resort to cutting someone's brakes.

The young woman was mortified when Phil burst into the party and attempted to drag her and Jay out of there. Ronnie tried reasoning with him, but to no avail. Shaking her head, Katy retrieved her daughter from Abi and she and Jay left, not wanting to spoil things for everyone else.

There had been arguments for a while, especially when Ronnie and Katy moved in with Jack. Phil was furious and forced his step-sister to choose between him and Jack. Katy had been incredibly proud of her mother when she had refused to step down and had chosen her boyfriend. She, as much as Ronnie, was heartbroken when the couple broke up and Jack left Walford for good.

The tensions had gradually calmed down until they were completely forgotten. It was a relief to the younger Mitchells, especially, when Max was released and things began to get back to normal between the two families.

Katy couldn't say that she was sorry that Michael was dead. Neither, though, did she believe that Alice had killed him. The girl was too innocent, too timid to do something like that. She didn't have the guts, as far as the Mitchell could see, to go through with murdering someone. If she had done, well, Katy was slightly impressed. She'd been able to do something Katy never had.


	7. Chapter 7

As Roxy and Alfie's wedding approached, Katy was reluctantly dragged into the planning. She knew Ronnie was suspicious about Alfie and Kat's relationship and Katy was well aware that Ronnie had warned him not to hurt her sister. Ronnie tried to be supportive, but she and Roxy argued often, which drove Katy crazy and sometimes she wanted nothing more than to get away.

"Hey." Katy smiled at Max weakly as he opened the door one evening when the young woman had taken all she could of talk about floral arrangements and fabric swatches. "Is Lauren in?"

He shook his head "Sorry, she's gone out."

"Right... Thanks."

As Katy turned to walk back down the steps, Max reached out and caught her arm. "Are you OK?"

"Not really." The young woman admitted with a mirthless laugh. Then she shook her head. "I'll be fine."

Sighing, Max opened the door wider and smiled. "Come in. I'm sure Lauren won't be long."

Katy only hesitated for a second, before walking past him into the house. Max shut the door and led the way into the living room. He switched the TV off as Katy sat on the sofa, standing in the centre of the room, almost awkwardly.

"D'you want a drink or something?"

She shook her head. "No thanks."

"D'you want to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you?"

"Mum and Roxy." Katy sighed. "They're doing my head in. And sometimes being a single parent is lonely, you know?"

Max snorted. "I know." He agreed.

"Yeah, but Lauren and Abi are practically adults and Oscar's with Tanya." She winced as she realised how horrible that last part had sounded. "Sorry..."

"Don't be; you're right."

"It was a bitchy thing to point out though."

He laughed, slumping down to sit on the sofa beside her. "Most people wouldn't care."

"Yeah, well, I know what it's like to have people judging you for stuff they know nothing about."

There was a silence and then Max let out a long breath. "Kirsty slept with Carl while I was banged up. She told me today."

"Sorry."

"Yeah. I ended it. I told her I wanted to concentrate on being a better father."

"That's good." Katy nodded slowly. "See, you are a good dad, putting your kids first."

He chuckled. "You and I both know that's not true."

Another pause followed. Katy's eyes flicked over to the man sitting beside her several times. Then, acting completely instinctively, she leant over and kissed him, placing a hand on his cheek.

It took Max a second to react to what was happening. He straightened in his seat, pushing her away and staring at her with wide eyes. Katy's eyes widened too, more in embarrassment at being rejected than anything else.

"Katy... What are you doing?"

"I... I'm sorry, I..."

When Max didn't say anything or move away, Katy leaned in again. She placed both hands on his face this time, shifting slightly so that she was leaning over him. Max kissed her back, slowly raising a hand to her waist.

As though coming to his senses, he pulled back, shaking his head. "You're my daughter's best friend. You're my brother's step-daughter."

"So what? Those things don't define me. I'm not just Lauren's best friend or Jack's step-daughter. I'm a person too, Max." She reminded him with a frown.

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I want to."

He shook his head. "Everyone will kick off."

"Who says they have to know?" The woman reasoned. "We both want to concentrate on being good parents, right? Neither of us want to hurt anybody or get hurt? This can just be a bit of fun; there's no reason it has to be anything more. I don't want it to be anything more."

Max hesitated, unsure what to do. Impatient, irritated by his indecisiveness, Katy decided to take charge. She moved so that she was straddling his lap, her knees on either side of his legs. Leaning forward, she pressed her lips firmly against Max's, her hands sliding round the back of his neck to pull him closer.

Giving in, Max allowed his hands to settle on the young woman's hips. As the kiss deepened, his hands moved down to her bum, pulling her closer against him. When Katy moaned into his mouth, the man broke the kiss and leant his head against the back of the sofa.

"Lauren and Abi might be back at any minute."

"So stop talking." Katy ordered, kissing him firmly.

He chuckled, kissing her back for a moment, before gently disentangling them. "Not now. Tomorrow. Lauren's got college and Abi'll be at school. Meet me here at one."

Nodding, Katy gave him one final kiss, before rolling off his lap just as the front door opened. They looked at each other and smirked. When Lauren opened the living room door, she was slightly taken aback at the sight of the pair sitting on the sofa watching the television.

"K?"

"Alright, babe?"

"Why are you hanging out with my dad?"

"I was waiting for you, duh."

Lauren nodded. "Oh, right." She looked at Max and raised an eyebrow. "You can go now."

Katy caught his eye as he stood up and walked to the door. She smirked, a look that was returned before Max left and Lauren took his space on the sofa. She let out a loud, angry-sounding huff and draped her legs over Katy's lap.

"So, what's new with you?" The younger girl asked.

"Not much." Katy said, her lips twitching slightly as she tried not to smile.

x-x

When her mother and aunt fell out, yet again at Roxy's hen night, the young woman was exasperated. She knew that Ronnie wouldn't miss out on Roxy's big day, whatever she said, confident that by the time she, Phil, Amy, Ruby and the bride arrived at the Church her mother would already be there waiting.

Sure enough, as Katy walked down the aisle with the two flower girls, she saw Ronnie smiling from one of the pews near the back and relaxed. She watched as the sisters exchanged a smile, before taking her place with Ruby and Amy in the front pew and smiling as Phil walked Roxy to the altar.

For some reason, perhaps it was the shifty expression on Alfie's face, Katy felt as though there was something wrong. She glanced over her shoulder and met Ronnie's eyes, unsurprised to see the blonde looking equally uneasy. They had just got to the most nerve-wracking part of the service, the part where everyone hoped no one would make an objection. Katy hoped that her mum wasn't going to say anything. And Ronnie didn't, much to her daughter's relief.

"_Will you, Alfred William Moon, take Roxanne Lizette Mitchell to be your wife?_" The vicar asked. "_Will you love her, comfort her, honour and keep her, in sickness and in health, for richer, for poorer, for better, for worse and, forsaking all others, keep yourself unto her as long as you both shall live?_"

There was a long pause and Katy felt herself going cold. She looked at Ronnie again, seeing that her eyes had narrowed dangerously. Just before the young woman looked back towards the couple at the front, the church doors opened and Kat and Tommy walked in. Katy's grip on Amy's hand tightened as she stared at the woman, before whipping her gaze back to her aunt and Alfie.

"_Alfred?_" The vicar prompted when he didn't speak. "_Shall I repeat the question?_"

"_No…_" Alfie shook his head and Roxy looked as though she was about to cry. "_I do._"

Katy breathed a sigh of relief. But then, in true Mitchell style, it all went wrong. As Alfie went running out of the church, Katy went to her aunt. She tried to speak to her, but realised it was pointless and left Amy and Ruby with the blonde while she followed Phil outside.

Alfie was standing with Ian and Ronnie when they caught up with them. Raised voices could be heard inside the church porch and, beside her, Katy could feel Phil shaking with suppressed anger.

"_What did I tell you?_" He demanded furiously as they joined the trio. "_Eh? What'd I tell you about marrying a Mitchell? Now get back in there now._" He jabbed his thumb over his shoulder threateningly. "_Get them stupid ideas out of your head. Get back in there and do the right thing._"

"_No, no, I can't do that, Phil._" Alfie told him.

"_I ain't gonna tell you again, Alfie._"

"_Phil, I don't think–_" Ronnie started, but her step-brother cut her off so violently that she flinched.

"_Shut your mouth._" He pointed at Ian. "_And you don't think about getting involved._" Phil grabbed Alfie by the front of his jacket and propelled him towards the church. "_Now you get in there._"

They followed as Phil violently frogmarched Alfie back inside and threw him to the ground at the bottom of the aisle in front of everyone.

"_Phil!_" Roxy shouted, tearfully. "_Phil, leave him alone!_"

There was a long silence as Alfie pulled himself to his feet. He looked at Roxy for a moment, before shuffling towards the doors, pausing to ask Ronnie where Kat had gone.

"_Southend._" She spat out.

As Alfie grabbed Ian's arm and pulled him out with him, Katy blocked his path, her eyes flashing furiously. "You wanna watch yourself. No one hurts my family and gets away with it."

He looked at her sadly for a moment, before sending her a small nod and rushing away. Katy clenched her fists as she glared after him. Then she turned and went to see what she could do to comfort her aunt.


	8. Chapter 8

The bad blood between the Mitchells and the Moons was explosive. Katy took great delight in making loud comments and stirring up trouble for Kat and Alfie as often and as much as she could. Her anger was nothing compared to Roxy's though, but the young brunette thought her aunt was justified in her behaviour after what they had done to her.

While Ronnie tried to calm Roxy down as she went on a rampage with a hammer, Katy leant against the Vic wall and laughed. She caught Kat's eye, sitting on a stool at her stall, and winked. Bianca frowned at her, taking her friend's side, but Katy found she didn't care in the slightest and offered to steady Roxy's stepladder for her.

"_I know you want to get even,_" Ronnie tried to explain soothingly, shooting her daughter an irritated look, "_but this is not a good idea!_"

"_I don't wanna get even,_" Roxy shouted back, "_I want to get out!_"

"_Good for you._" Shirley praised as she and Tina came to stand in front of them.

"_Oi, oi!_" Ronnie started to laugh as Roxy began hammering on the sign over the Vic doors bearing hers and Alfie's names. "_Don't you think you should have brought a screwdriver, you idiot?_" She reached up and took hold of the tool in her sister's hand. "_Turn it round; do it like that._"

She and Katy shared a look, grinning at each other and laughing as the younger blonde returned her attention to the sign. Once it was done, the three women turned and found Alfie watching them. Katy and Ronnie stood side-by-side as Roxy advanced on him, breathing heavily in her anger.

She hurled the sign at his feet violently. "_I can do a hell of a lot better than this._"

"_Roxy… Roxy!_" When the fierier of the sisters turned, Ronnie smiled softly. "_Come here._"

Katy smiled as Roxy threw herself into the older blonde's arms, clinging on desperately. She caught Shirley's eye and the woman winked and her and nodded. Katy grinned back, before her gaze fell on Alfie once more and the expression dropped instantly.

She took a couple of steps forward, her features contorting into an almost feral snarl as she regarded the man in front of her who had caused her aunt so much pain. "Like I said, you better watch your back because I swear to god I will–"

"Katy!"

She scowled but turned back to her mother at once. Ronnie shook her head and held out a hand. Reluctantly the brunette turned and walked back to where they were waiting for her. Roxy wrapped an arm around her shoulders tightly. She met her niece's eye and snorted with laughter. A couple of second later the three women were all giggling uncontrollably, making their way through the gardens and into number 55.

x-x

"How's Roxy?" Max asked, lying in bed and watching Katy wriggle into her jeans.

She sighed and flicked her hair out of her collar, reaching down to pick up her right boot. "Not great. But then what would you expect?"

Rolling over and catching her round the waist, pulling the young woman down on top of him, Max chuckled. "What are you doing for your birthday?"

Katy laughed and kissed him quickly before freeing herself from his arms and pulling on her other boot. She shrugged. "No idea. I haven't really thought about it. There's been much too much going on round here to plan anything."

"But it's your twenty-first. You have to do something."

She shrugged again. "I'll just get shit-faced and trash the Vic."

Max chuckled. "As satisfying as that sounds, won't your mum be planning something?"

"Why, want an invite?"

"Maybe."

Thumping him lightly on the chest, she kissed him again and walked towards the door. "I'll let you know."

Leaving through the back, Katy cut across and made her way to the club. She found Ronnie sitting behind the desk when she entered and, although her mother gave her a curious look, she didn't make any comment on Katy's arrival. Dropping her bag and jacket onto the sofa, the young woman headed into the bar and began setting up for that evening.

"You missed out on the drama earlier." Ronnie announced, making her daughter jump.

"Why? What happened?"

"Alfie tried to convince Phil to change his mind about selling the Vic and Phil said that if he begged for Roxy's forgiveness he'd consider it. Alfie chucked the Vic bust through the window."

"Shit…" The brunette leant on the bar and let out a low whistle. "I bet that went down well."

"Phil had his car crushed."

"Shit." Katy repeated.

There was a short silence as they both mulled the situation over. Then Ronnie smiled. "So… it's your birthday tomorrow."

"I know." Katy agreed, reaching beneath the bar to replace a glass on the tray.

"Got any plans?"

The younger woman shook her head. "Not really. Surprisingly enough I don't really feel like celebrating."

"Rox wouldn't want you to–"

"No, I know. But I just… I don't know. I don't feel like it." Katy admitted with a small upward jerk of her shoulders. "I'd be happy to just stay in with you, Rox, Rubes and Amy and watch a film or something."

"On your 21st?" Ronnie looked surprised. "I remember your 18th."

Katy laughed softly. "That was a lifetime ago."

"True…" Her mother agreed. "Don't you at least want to hang out in the VIP room with your mates?"

"What mates? I spend more time here than anywhere else and the only people I see more than about twice a week are you lot."

Ronnie bit her lip. "I'm sorry…"

Glancing up quickly, the brunette shook her head vehemently. "Oh, no. I wasn't blaming you. I just… I don't know. Is it weird that I'm not really bothered?"

"You're a mum… it's right that Ruby is the most important person in your life." Ronnie assured her softly, sending her a warm smile. Then she grinned. "And you're a Mitchell. It's all about family, right?"

Katy laughed. "I guess so."

"If you really want to spend your birthday at home with us, I'll get Sharon to cover my shift tomorrow night."

"I do." The younger woman said decisively. "That's what I want."

x-x

Katy got her wish and she, her mum, her daughter, her aunt and her cousin spent the afternoon and the evening curled up on the sofa with pizza and wine and juice and a selection of child-friendly films. When Amy and Ruby had been put to bed, Roxy convinced them to put on Titanic and the two blondes spent the entire film in floods of tears. Katy, never one for crying during films, laughed at their soppiness, before draping herself across their bodies and peppering kisses on their faces until they started laughing as well.

Their good moods lasted until Tuesday, when Roxy received papers in the post to annul her marriage. Katy left the comforting to Ronnie, opting to work instead. It wasn't that she didn't want to be there for her aunt, she just decided that this was probably a sister bonding moment and she wasn't really wanted.

While Roxy started seeing Carl, something that everyone tried to warn her against, Katy spent more time with Shirley and Tina. She found the younger Carter sister hilarious and, much to Ronnie's jealousy, her relationship with Shirley was just as strong as it had ever been. Ronnie was extremely irritated when her daughter came home a few days before Christmas hungover after being out all night with the two women and tried to convince both parties that it was incredibly irresponsible.

"Just chill out, Mum, OK?" Katy tried to soothe her several days later, finally getting irritated by the topic. "It was just one night."

"OK." Ronnie took a deep breath and smiled. "OK."

"Phil's not seriously going to sell the Vic to Janine, is he?" Katy asked, changing the subject and screwing up her face in disgust at the thought. She bounced Ruby on her hip as she put the kettle on to boil.

"He wants rid, she wants the Vic." Ronnie replied calmly.

"But Janine?"

The blonde shrugged. "She can get the money. Who else around here has that kind of cash? Who else is desperate enough to play Phil's games?"

"No one." The younger woman agreed. Then she sighed and passed the little girl in her arms to her mother so she could make the tea. "Anyway, have you heard about Christmas Day?"

"A very merry Mitchell-Beale Christmas?" Ronnie winced. "It's gonna be a train wreck."

"Why is it even happening?"

With a shrug, the blonde settled herself at the table and accepted the mug that was pushed towards her. "Apparently it was Lola and Peter's idea; something about burying the hatchet and it being the season of goodwill or something."

"But why? It's not like Ben's around to unite Phil and Ian, is it?"

"Lola and Peter?"

"Makes sense." Katy agreed slowly, leaning against the counter and clutching her mug in both hands. "But this is something I would pay to see. Phil and Ian spending Christmas together? It'll be carnage."


	9. Chapter 9

Trying to build bridges considering all the bad feeling that was hanging between Ronnie and Roxy over the younger woman seeing Carl, Katy suggested that they went last minute shopping on Christmas Eve. Both of them agreed but, at the last moment, Sharon decided that she needed the day off and Ronnie was forced to work instead. She persuaded her sister and daughter to go anyway, so they headed up west with their daughters and spent the day trailing round the shops and spending too much money.

"What the hell is that?" Katy demanded as a loud, ear-splitting wailing filled the air. She and Roxy stopped halfway across the Square, trying to work out where the sound was coming from.

"Sounds like it's coming from Dot's." The older woman said, glancing at her niece quickly. She took hold of the handles of Ruby's pushchair, nudging Katy out of the way with her hip. "You go and see if she's OK. I'll get the girls home."

Nodding, Katy watched Roxy, Amy and Ruby making their way into the gardens, before turning and jogging towards Dot's house, covering her ears as the noise got louder. Knocking on the door, she was surprised when Abi answered the door. Seconds later the alarm stopped and the Mitchell could hear herself think again.

"I'm so glad you're here." Abi gushed, yanking the older girl into the house and closing the door behind her.

"What's happened? Is Dot OK?"

"Not really." The blonde sighed. "She's in here."

Leading the way to the kitchen, Abi pushed Katy in ahead of her. The brunette frowned as she saw Poppy leaning over the table to set a teacup in front of Dot, who seemed to be shaking. Dropping into the seat beside the elderly woman, Katy reached over and took her hand, squeezing it tightly.

"What's happened? Are you OK?"

"She was robbed." Poppy said in a low voice, as though Dot wouldn't hear her. "The money for the Church. Someone came in here and stole it."

"What?" Katy's eyes darkened with fury and her face clouded over dangerously.

The Mitchell had joked that because Dot was her step-father's step-mother, the 'steps' cancelled each other out and meant that the elderly woman was her actual grandmother. Both Katy and Dot knew better than most that there was more to family and love than biology and there was a very high mutual affection between the pair.

"Who was it?" She demanded, standing up and clenching her fists. "If you have any idea–"

"Sit down, Katy." Dot said softly, pulling on her arm and causing the girl to sink into her seat once more. "I won't have you getting into trouble for me."

"But you can't–"

"No, that's the end of it."

Sulkily, the Mitchell leant back in her chair and folded her arms. "Fine."

Poppy and Abi looked between them and deciding it was safe to speak, the blonde smiled at her sister's best friend. "We were just persuading Grandma to come to Church with us later. You'll come, won't you?"

"Oh, yeah, you have to come and see Mrs Branning's show stealing moment."

Katy barely concealed a wince. "Oh, I dunno... I'm not exactly a church-going person."

"Please?" Dot asked, so quietly that for a moment the three girls thought they had imagined it. With a resigned sigh, Katy nodded her agreement.

She stayed with the elderly woman for a while, making tea and finding biscuits in one of the cupboards. Then she left, needing to sort out who would look after her daughter while she was at Church.

Roxy snorted with amusement when Katy told her where she was going, but agreed to babysit her great-niece nevertheless.

The evening passed quickly and, before she knew it, Katy was crossing the Square, pulling her coat tighter around herself to block out the worst of the cold. She, Abi, Poppy and Dot piled into the elderly woman's car and they made their way, slowly, towards St Cuthbert's Church where the midnight mass was taking place.

"Why am I here?" Katy muttered as they followed Dot inside, earning herself a jab in the ribs on either side.

"Shhh!" Abi hissed. "This means a lot to Grandma. At least pretend you want to be here."

"Fine." The older girl sighed, stopping as Dot paused by the beautifully decorated Christmas tree. "Fine."

"_I know it may not seem like it now, but things will get better, OK?_" Poppy assured her softly.

"_Yeah, they will._" Abi agreed. "_The Lord is your strength and your shield._"

"_That's Psalm 28, verse 7. How d'you know about that?_" Dot asked her curiously.

All three younger woman chuckled. "_I've heard you say it enough times._"

"We do take in some of the things you tell us." Katy agreed with a smile.

"_The Lord is my strength and my shield."_ Dot repeated, almost dreamily.

"_Ahh! The inimitable Mrs Branning."_ The vicar greeted her cheerfully. "_We were starting to worry you wouldn't come. Are you ready for your star turn?_"

Dot looked slightly panicked, but then Poppy cleared her throat and pulled something out of her bag. "_I, err... I thought you might need this._"

Katy and Abi grinned as Dot took the proffered bell, looking at it as though it had been conjured with magic. She smiled weakly and then swallowed nervously, her hand trembling a little as she looked at the instrument.

"Shall we sit down." She suggested, leading the way to her usual pew. Lots of people greeted her as they walked through the church and the three young women found themselves being introduced to lots of people they would never remember the names of and listening to Dot being praised by all of them. The elderly woman was embarrassed, but her granddaughters and Poppy accepted the compliments on her behalf before being ushered into the pew.

Christmas Carols were the only hymns that Katy even vaguely enjoyed singing, but the highlight of the whole event as far as she was concerned was the choral piece that involved Dot's bell playing. Seeing the broad smile that slowly spread over her face as the song continued made the whole expedition worth it as far as Katy was concerned.

* * *

**_A/N: oh look! We're nearly at Christmas and it's only February! :D_**

**_Thanks for reading guys, and thanks to those of you who've reviewed/messaged me! :)_**

**_x_**


	10. Chapter 10

Amy was up before the sun on Christmas morning. Evidently her mother had encouraged her to go and wake her cousin and so the small girl threw herself onto the bed, dragging Katy away from her dreams and into consciousness. Unable to be angry with the little girl who was beaming at her, Katy rolled out of bed and grinned at the sight of the stocking at the foot of her bed.

Lifting Ruby into her arms, she shouldered both their stockings and allowed Amy to lead her into Ronnie's bedroom where the two blondes were curled up under the duvet, trying to pretend they were awake. Setting the stockings down beside the bed, Katy glanced at her cousin and nodded. Without warning they both hurled themselves onto the figures under the covers, Katy being careful not to hurt her daughter in the process.

"Argh!" Roxy screamed swatting out at her assailants.

Ronnie simply laughed and sat up, dragging Amy onto her lap and peppering her face with kisses that made the little girl giggle. Then she scooped Ruby up, lavishing the same affection onto her granddaughter, while Katy settled herself in the tiny gap between her mother and aunt.

"Merry Christmas, baby." Ronnie said softly, pressing a kiss to her temple.

"You too, Mum."

"Presents!" Roxy's voice burst through the moment and she disappeared for a moment over the side of the bed to drag the stockings up.

Silence descended as all five of them eagerly ripped into their gifts, only punctuated by the sound of tearing paper and occasional comments and laughter at what they uncovered. Once everyone had finished and Ronnie had demanded that they clear up the mess they had made of her bedroom, they went downstairs to make breakfast, finding Phil already starting to prepare for the dinner.

Turning up the volume on her iPod speakers, Roxy started dancing round the kitchen to Christmas music, whirling Amy and Ruby in her arms with her and singing at the top of her lungs. Ronnie laughed at the sight, slinging an arm around her daughter's shoulders as she waited for the kettle to boil.

When Billy, Lola and Lexi arrived, Phil had them all working hard to make sure the dinner was perfect. Katy didn't see what was so special about Christmas Dinner anyway. To her it was just a glorified roast where everyone was forced to eat and pretend they liked vegetables they wouldn't normally touch with a bargepole, while being nice to people you usually hated. But that logic didn't wash with Phil, who told her that it was tough and they had to make sure Beale had nothing to criticise.

The second the doorbell rang Lola jumped to answer it. Katy and Ronnie exchanged a meaningful look and the blonde muttered that if the teenager and Peter weren't together she'd be incredibly surprised. Her daughter challenged her to a £20 bet that they would announce their relationship at some point that day, but Ronnie refused to take her up on it. Roxy, on the other hand, did so eagerly and the two women shook on it as the Beales walked into the living room.

Katy and Lucy, who had never seen eye-to-eye, largely avoided each other as they made the final preparations to the meal before taking their seats at the table. Katy sat between Phil and Ronnie, Ruby sharing her seat and plate, opposite Roxy and Amy.

It was one of the more awkward Christmas Dinners Katy had sat through with her family. Having Ronnie there was the best Christmas present either Roxy or Katy could have wished for and, perhaps, it was that which kept them sane during the day and the effect the Beales' presence was having.

"_What d'you reckon then, Ian?_" Ronnie asked, almost challengingly. "_Is it up to your exacting standards?_"

"_Yeah it's very tasty._" He agreed with a nod and a smile. "_Your handiwork?_"

"_No, it was Phil. Oh, and you should see him in a pinny. It's really quite a sight."_

Roxy and Katy laughed loudly at the image conjured by Ronnie's words. Even Phil snorted in amusement. Ian and his family simply stared as though Ronnie had just announced that Phil had cooked the entire meal naked.

"_I can imagine._" Denise muttered.

"_Oh, go on Phil, get your pinny on._" Roxy urged with a saucy wink. "_Give Denise a thrill._"

Ronnie and Katy cackled harder at that, but the woman in question seemed less than amused. "_Please don't._"

"_What you need is a woman around the house._" Ian said with a smile. "_You know, a new wife._"

"_What for?"_ Phil snapped.

"_Well, you know, to clean and cook."_

At his words, every single female at the table turned to look at him, disbelief on their faces. Even Billy, Phil and Peter raised their eyebrows at his comment, sensing trouble brewing.

"_What?_" Ronnie asked in bemusement as Roxy snorted and shook her head.

"Is he for real?" Katy asked, looking between her mum and her aunt as though for confirmation that she hadn't just imagined his words.

"_You're an expert, are ya? On marriage?_" Phil asked gruffly as the three women seated nearest him burst out laughing.

Standing in the doorway, bouncing Lexi in her arms, Lola looked vaguely alarmed. "_This is nice, ain't it, all of us being together?"_

"Are you being serious?_"_ Katy asked her, arching an eyebrow.

Phil carried on, as though no one else had spoken. "_Having done it four times?_"

"_Yes, well, sometimes it does take a while to find the right person."_ Denise defended her partner quickly.

"_Oh, and you've found the right person, have you?"_ Phil asked, laughing. Katy caught Roxy's eye and snorted, quickly turning and burying her face in her mum's shoulder so that she didn't laugh out loud.

"_Maybe._"

"_Yeah, Phil, there's nothing wrong with a bit of romance."_ Lola said. Katy instantly sat up wondering whether this would be the moment she won her bet with Roxy. "_Is there Pops?_"

"_Eh?_"

"_Romance...?_" The teenager repeated.

"_Oh, yeah. Yeah, course._"

Katy grinned. "Oh, Bill."

An awkward silence descended for a couple of moments and Katy was disappointed that Lola hadn't won her the money from her aunt. Having eaten far more than she could usually manage, the brunette leant back in her chair, complaining as her daughter bounced on her stomach.

"Eurgh... I'm stuffed. Go to Grandma, baby." She groaned, lifting Ruby onto Ronnie's lap.

Raising an eyebrow, the blonde pressed a kiss to the little girl's head and began to eat the Christmas pudding Lola had just placed in front of her. Katy grinned and picked up her spoon.

"I thought you were stuffed?"

With a mock look of outrage, the brunette tapped her mother gently on the nose with her spoon. "There is always space for Christmas pudding, Veronica."

"Right."

"_Ian? Christmas pud?_" Lola asked cheerfully.

"_Ahh! Why not._" He agreed. "_Might get lucky and find a sixpence in there._"

Phil snorted. "_Yeah, if you can travel back in time; it's 2013, init._"

"_Alright then. Maybe a shiny, new ten pence piece then."_ The other man amended.

Katy exchanged a look with her aunt, causing the blonde to almost choke on her mouthful of pudding as she tried to stifle her laughter.

"_No, I don't think there's anything in there._" Ronnie said, looking at Ian with amusement flashing in her eyes.

"_What?_" Ian complained. "_Oh, come on. It's tradition! You've gotta have a coin in your pud._"

Phil glared at him. "_You got any other criticisms? Cos I saw you left half your veg and half your turkey and all._"

"_I had a big breakfast._"

"_So, it was all perfectly cooked in your professional opinion, was it?_"

Katy was biting her lip so hard to stop herself laughing she was sure it would start bleeding any second. Roxy was pointedly avoiding catching her eye, but the brunette could see her shoulders shaking with laughter all the same.

"_Perfect._"

"_You wouldn't lie to me, Ian, would ya?_"

Lola turned to him in irritation as Ronnie, too succumbed to the silent giggles that were affecting her sister and daughter. "_Phil! Can you just leave it and let everyone enjoy themselves?_"

"_I am enjoying myself and so's Ian._" Phil told her. "_Ain't you, Ian?_"

"_No!_" The blonde teenager argued. "_No, he's not. No one is._"

"I am." Katy muttered. "This is better than a soap."

"Shut up." Ronnie murmured, poking her in the leg.

"_I just wanted everyone to get on so we could be honest for once._" Lola continued.

Everyone stopped and looked at her. "_About what?_"

"_Tell 'em._" The teenager urged Peter, who looked as though he was about to be thrown into a pit full of lions. "_Go on, tell them._" When he simply continued his goldfish routine, Lola sighed and took over. "_Me and Peter... we're together. We're a couple._"

"You owe me twenty quid." Katy told her aunt, returning her attention to her pudding while everyone else stared at the young couple.

"_Did you know about this?_" Phil demanded, staring fiercely at Ian.

Ian looked offended by the assumption. "_No, course not._"

"_Phil, look–_" Peter stared, but he was cut off immediately.

"_Shut up, I weren't talking to you._"

"_Don't tell him to shut up!_" Lola snapped. "_Look, we are together and you either accept that or I will go upstairs, get Lexi, walk out of this house and I won't come back._"


	11. Chapter 11

_**A/N: I'm really, REALLY sorry that I haven't updated in so, SO long. Things in my life have been absolutely mental recently and things with my job are just going to get more stressful! I'll do my best to update as regularly as I can, I promise!**_

_**Massive thanks to all of you for sticking with this... reviews are gratefully received ;)**_

_**x**_

* * *

An uncomfortable silence fell over the table. Everyone was looking between Lola, Phil and Peter uneasily, wondering what was going to happen. Katy was impressed by her cousin's bravery in standing up to Phil, let alone the way she was using his granddaughter to blackmail him; possibly for the second time if Ronnie was right about how this whole joint Christmas Dinner had come about in the first place.

Phil jerked his head in an approximation of a nod. "_Alright. Whatever you want. It's got nothing to do with me._"

_"Really?_"

"_Now all of a sudden I've lost my appetite._" Ian announced, clearly not happy about the whole situation.

"_Yeah, why don't we go out to that party?_" Denise suggested. "_I can hear the music now. Give Kat and Alfie a proper send off._" She trailed off we she caught Roxy's eye.

"_No, you're alright. I think I'll stay here._" The blonde answered bluntly.

The awkwardness rose, until Billy suggestion clearing the plates and everyone jumped into action. Katy volunteered to stay behind with her mum and aunt to wash up and tidy everything away.

When most of the clearing up had been done, Ronnie suggested that Katy take Amy and Ruby out for a while to enjoy the party. At first the young woman was reluctant, but then she realised that Roxy didn't seem to mind; in fact she was encouraging her niece to take the children out.

Making sure the three of them were wrapped up tightly against the cold, Ronnie and Roxy stood in the doorway and watched as Katy pushed Ruby's pushchair across the Square, swinging the hand she was holding Amy's in backwards and forwards. The sisters watched until Katy joined the Butchers and headed towards the various marquees with them.

She stood with Whitney, who was bouncing Scarlett in her arms, and watched as Tiffany and Morgan took Amy to get some candyfloss. She shouted to them to get one for Ruby too, when her daughter complained, causing Liam to jog back towards her and hold out his hand for money. Rolling her eyes, the young woman rummaged in her coat pocket and pulled out a tenner, which she handed over, telling him to buy all five candyflosses with it. He thanked her, before returning to the stand and taking charge.

Katy's offer led to an argument with Bianca, who didn't want charity. The brunette rolled her eyes and reminded the older woman that it wasn't charity if you were family and they were as good as cousins, because of Jack; even if he wasn't around anymore.

"Where's Carol?" Katy asked after a couple of moments quiet, where she and Whitney simply watched the children enjoying themselves.

"Dunno. She was waiting for David I think."

"Hey, Katy." Tiffany appeared at her side, grinning up at her, the stick of her candyfloss clutched in one hand and Amy's hand held tightly in the other. "Has Whitney told you what happened at Christmas Dinner?" When the young woman shook her head, the girl grinned even more broadly. "Mum went mental and chucked her food at Rosie and TJ's mum. Then she kicked them all out; Terry and all! It's well bad!"

"Is she OK?" Katy asked, turning to look over at the bench where Bianca was sitting alone.

"Not really. She's mental." Tiffany said with a shrug. "Can I take Amy over there where Bobby is?"

Nodding, Katy told her to be careful and watched them closely until they reached Bobby and Lucy by the mulled wine tent. She was just about to suggest they went to sit with Bianca, when Janine almost ploughed into them. She wrenched Scarlett from Whitney's arms and bundled her into her car seat, running round to jump into the driver's seat.

"_What's the matter?_" The younger of the two girls asked in confusion, watching Janine with a furrowed brow. "_Where're you going?_"

Joey, Carol and David came charging over as well, skidding to a halt by the car. Janine revved the engine as Joey stood in front of her, before putting it into reverse.

"_Janine! You can't do this!_" David shouted, trying the driver's door only to find that it was locked. "_Janine! Don't run! You can't!_"

The car shot backwards and she tried to turn, only to drive straight into the path of a police car that was speeding towards her, lights flashing and siren blaring. Janine reversed, trying several times to get clear of the police cars that were blocking her in. She sped round the Square, blaring the horn and sending people leaping in all directions to get out of her way.

Whitney and Katy stared at each other, hurrying round the corner to see what was going on. Tiffany and the others found them at once and Katy lifted a terrified Amy into her arms, holding her tightly.

There was a loud crash as Janine's car collided with the mulled wine tent that Katy's cousins had been standing by only moments before. Two blonde figures appeared, looking desperately around. When Ronnie and Roxy spotted them, they charged over; Roxy grabbing her daughter and Ronnie pulling Katy into her arms and checking for injuries.

"We're fine." The young woman assured her, glancing towards the cause of the commotion. "It's Janine."

"_Janine. Janine! Don't do this!_" David was still shouting, trying to reason with her. "_You're gonna make it worse!_"

The woman opened the back door and tried to pull out her screaming daughter. The police got to her before she could undo the straps, hauling her away.

"_Please let me have my baby!_" She begged through her tears. "_Don't you touch her! Get off me! She's mine! She's my little girl!_"

"_Janine Butcher, you're under arrest,_" one of the policemen handcuffing her announced, "_for the murder of Michael Moon. You are not obliged to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention, when questioned, something which you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence. Do you understand?_"

They dragged her away, still calling out for Scarlett. Carol stepped forward and took the little girl off the policewoman, explaining that she was family. Everyone watched as she was bundled into the back of the police car in handcuffs, moving forward as the car slowly began to drive down Bridge Street, before turning out of sight.


	12. Chapter 12

"Any plans for today?" Roxy asked, dropping down on the sofa next to her niece and stealing the remote from her hand.

"I might go and spend that £20 I earned yesterday." Katy grinned, winking at the blonde.

"You must have had inside information." Roxy groaned. "Why else would you guess that Lola and Peter would do something as stupid as announce they're going out at Christmas Dinner?"

The brunette laughed. "Because it's Lola and Peter?" She noticed the distracted look in her aunt's eyes and sighed. "It's changeover day at the Vic, ain't it? You OK?"

"Course I am. They brought it on themselves. Besides a fresh start is just what this place needs."

"Yeah, with Janine being arrested... d'you reckon she'll get sent down? How long d'you reckon she'll get?"

"Life, hopefully, crazy bitch."

Katy grinned and then nudged the older woman in the ribs. "Come on, let's go up west and see how much money we can spend. It'll take your mind off things."

There was a pause. Then Roxy sighed and nodded, standing up. "Yeah, alright, but let's go to the caf first and get a drink, yeah?"

With Amy and Ruby at Carol's for a play date, the two women were free to do what they wanted with their day. Katy and Ronnie had made a deal, meaning that the younger woman was working New Year's Eve at the club, but not having to go in until then. Her mother would get New Year's Eve and New Year's Day off in return.

They passed Shirley and Tina in the gardens, watching the line of people helping Kat and Alfie moving out of the Vic. The four of them laughed for a moment, none of them having any incentive to offer to help. Instead they leant against the railings offering, mostly unhelpful, suggestions to those passing the couple's belongings along the line.

"Not gonna help?" Lola called from her place beside Peter.

Katy snorted with laughter. "You kidding? Are you a Mitchell or what?"

The blonde simply rolled her eyes and got on with the task at hand. Katy shook her head and tugged on Roxy's arm, motioning towards the caf. They headed down Bridge Street, completely ignoring the couple whose possessions were being moved by conveyor belt, and entered the cafe, rubbing their hands together against the cold.

Roxy bought two coffees and they settled themselves at a table, flicking through a magazine. They were interrupted a short while later by Shirley and Tina.

"_Hello again._"

"_Alright?_" Roxy smiled at Shirley's younger sister.

"_No, not today, Tina._" The older blonde snapped, making her way to the table behind Roxy and Katy's.

"_I'm just being friendly!_" Tina argued.

"_Not when I've got a hangover._"

Katy laughed softly, glancing up when Billy took the seat opposite hers. She smiled at him, taking a sip from her mug and wrapping her hands around it to absorb the warmth.

"_Alright? What're they saying?_" Roxy asked eagerly, keen for gossip on the latest scandal on the Square.

"_Janine's not budging on her story._" Billy replied, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "_They've charged her with murder though. I know._" He shook his head. "_They said that, it turned my stomach. I mean, Janine's a lot of things, but that's done my head in that has._"

"_So what? She's saying she didn't do it?_" Roxy asked, sounding as though she didn't believe that the woman was innocent for a second.

"_Well you would do, wouldn't you?_" Shirley chipped in.

Katy shifted her seat slightly so that she could see the two Carters without craning her neck uncomfortably. "Course. You ain't gonna admit it unless you're some kind of nutter."

"_There's nothing proven, is there?_" Billy reminded them defensively. "_They've still got Alice's confession. It's all up in the air._"

Roxy snorted derisively. "_Pity._"

"_I need a drink._"

"_Well you'll have to wait._" Roxy told her cousin bluntly. "_Because, as of today, the Vic is under new management._"

Billy frowned. "_What?_"

"_Yep._"

"_Who's bought it now?_"

"_I don't know._"

"Some bloke Phil knows I think." Katy said with a shrug.

"_It's gonna be a gay bar._" Shirley announced. Everyone turned to look at her in surprise.

"_Yeah, right._"

"_I've seen the plans._" The blonde continued seriously. "_It's got all little rainbow flags outside... gonna paint it pink. There's loads of drawings of these oiled-up men suspended in cages."_

Roxy chuckled, deeply amused. "_I like it. I like it. I might call Christian._"

"_But that's my local!_" Billy complained.

"_It still will be._" Tina pointed out.

"_You'll just have to oil up, Billy._"

Katy pulled a face. "And with that image firmly embedded in my mind, let's get out of here, Rox."

The younger blonde nodded and they stood, gathering their things. By the time they reached the tube station, Roxy was showing less enthusiasm than she usually did at the thought of shopping. In fact it was she who suggested that they went home instead.

Katy didn't argue, but wondered what was wrong with her aunt. Roxy rolled her eyes and said she'd just remembered she was supposed to be doing something. When the younger woman asked what it was, Roxy glared at her and demanded to know whether she was allowed any secrets.

"Oh my god, is it that Carl guy?" Katy asked, suddenly realising why Roxy was being so cagey. "Mum's gonna freak."

"You do not tell Ronnie, OK? Do not tell her."

"She'll find out." The brunette said with a shrug. "She always does."

Roxy glared at her. "No she won't, not if you keep your gob shut. I'm being careful about it, OK? Not that it's anyone else's business anyway."

"Like I care which crappy boyfriend you've got this week."

"Oi!"

"What, it's true!" Katy laughed. "You have shit taste in men."

"Like you can talk."

The younger woman shrugged again. "I'm not even denying it. We both have a terrible ability to choose men who are good for us." She frowned and glanced at her watch. "Alright, I'll help cover for you with Mum. It's nearly twelve. You've got 'til four to do whatever and then we're actually going to the sales for a bit, OK? Mum will never believe we went shopping and didn't buy anything."

Roxy frowned suspiciously at her niece. "Why are you enabling me?"

"Fake alibis work both ways, don't they." Katy reminded her with a wink. "You go do your thing and I'll do mine. I'll meet you at the tube at four."


	13. Chapter 13

"You are kidding?" Katy laughed loudly as her aunt informed her who the new owners of the Vic were, late the next morning. "That's hilarious."

"Phil doesn't think so." Ronnie told her, setting a mug of coffee in front of her daughter.

"Nah, course he don't." She grinned broadly. "I bet Bitch Barbie is furious."

"Yeah, she was ranting and raving about it." Roxy agreed, pausing in the painting of her nails for a moment to glance up at her niece. She didn't even need to ask who Katy was talking about, knowing from the nickname that she was referring to Sharon. "I thought she was going to go and physically attack Shirley at one point last night."

"Hashtag Team Shirl." The brunette said, still grinning from ear-to-ear.

Ronnie arched an eyebrow at her. "You should be Team Mitchell. That means you're team whoever we're aliened with at the moment."

"That's stupid. I will never side with Sharon over Shirl." Katy snapped. "She's a stuck-up bitch and her kid's evil."

"Katy." Her mother said in a warning tone.

"No, he is. Did you not hear what he did to Whit? The little shit nearly got her sacked."

"That is true, Ron." Roxy agreed, glancing up from her nails again.

"Besides, Shirl's always looked out for me and Ruby. What's Bitch Barbie ever done for me?"

"Another fair point." Roxy nodded.

Ronnie sighed. "It's not about sides, Katy. It's about what's best for us."

The brunette nodded defiantly. "Right, and that's being on Team Shirley."

With another deep sigh, the blonde stood and started rinsing the mugs in the sink. Her daughter grinned triumphantly and went upstairs for a shower, feeling as though she'd won that particular disagreement.

"_Oi!_" Ronnie's voice met Katy's ears as she left her bedroom a while later, intending to head back down to join her family. Instantly she focused her attention on what was happening at the foot of the stairs. "_Where're you going?_"

"_Sales._"

"_And you've got to tiptoe to those, do you?_"

"_Yes._" Roxy said defiantly. "_She's fallen asleep in there. I didn't want to wake her._"

"_Oh. What you after?_"

"_Well what do you think? A bargain._"

Sensing that Ronnie was still deeply suspicious about her sister's behaviour, Katy darted back into her room and grabbed her bag and jacket, before heading quickly downstairs. Smiling at her mother, she shrugged her coat on and joined Roxy at the door.

"Sorry, couldn't find my shoe." She said with a smile.

"Oh, you're going too?" Ronnie asked, looking between them.

Katy nodded. "Yeah, if you don't mind watching the kids?"

"No, no. It'll be fine." The blonde agreed, smiling warmly. "Hoping to spot something you missed yesterday?"

"Of course!" Her daughter grinned, before leaning forward and kissing her on the cheek.

With a little wave, the two women slipped out of the house and starting walking in the vague direction of the tube station for the second time in two days. They paused in front of the caf and looked at each other carefully.

"Meet at the tube at... three?" Roxy suggested.

Katy grinned, pulling out her mobile to text Max. "See you then."

x-x

They walked back through the Square, swinging their bags lazily. Roxy let them into the house, which was unusually quiet, through the front door.

"_Ron? Amy?_"

"Rubes?"

As if on cue, the backdoor closed and voices could be heard in the kitchen. Exchanging a look, the two women moved through the living room to greet them.

"_Hi!_" Roxy said enthusiastically, beaming at the trio who put their bags down on the floor. "_Hey! Has Auntie Ronnie been spoiling you, has she?_"

Ruby held out her arms and Katy put down her own shopping to scoop her up, settling her on her hip and chucking her under her cheek playfully. "I hope Grandma didn't spend too much on you?"

"Never too much." Ronnie said, smiling at the little girl.

"_Did you have a nice day?_" Roxy asked, speaking more to Amy than anyone else.

"_Yeah, they loved it._"

"_Good. Good. Well I had a nice day._" She glanced quickly at Katy, who was shooting her a look. "Me and Katy both did. _Thanks for asking._"

"We did, yeah." The brunette agreed, nodding quickly.

Ronnie spared her daughter a cursory, slightly betrayed look, before turning to her sister again. "_I saw you._"

"_What? At the sales?_"

"_No, with Carl._"

Katy's eyes widened and she had to work hard to keep her face under control. If Ronnie had seen Roxy with Carl, then that meant she knew that Katy hadn't been with her. If she knew that then she would a, be angry that Katy had lied and b, demand to know where the young woman had actually been all day.

Roxy shrugged, acting as casual as she could. "_I just bumped into him._"

"_I didn't really see you._" Ronnie informed her with an irritated smile. Roxy and Katy both stared at her. "_Then again I suppose I didn't need to, did I, hey?_"

"Mum... we did just bump into him." Katy attempted to convince her, but the older woman just shot her a look.

"_Here..._" Ronnie threw something she had pulled out of one of her shopping bags in Roxy's direction. "_Grab this._"

Roxy and Katy looked at the object in confusion. "_Sun cream? It's winter, Ronnie._"

"_Not in Ibiza. I'm taking you and Amy _and Katy and Ruby_ for a little holiday._"


	14. Chapter 14

With a groan, Katy hauled herself out of bed and rubbed her eyes tiredly. Yawning, she balanced Ruby on her hip and grasped Amy's hand in hers. The little girl had been in and out of her bedroom for the past half hour asking where Roxy was.

"What did Auntie Ronnie say?"

"She said Mummy had to pop to the shop for milk."

"Well there you go, then, honey." Her older cousin said with a smile. "I'm sure she'll be home soon."

"Can we go to Auntie Carol's again? I want to play with Morgan and Tiff."

"Maybe. We'll have to see whether they're busy, babe."

Settling the girls in the living room with the television on and their toys strewn around, the young woman shuffled into the kitchen, stretching up and working out the kinks in her back. Running a hand through her hair, she yawned again and offered her cheek to her mother to kiss.

Ronnie chuckled. "Good morning, sunshine."

"Mornin'. Where's Rox?"

"Out." Her mother replied bluntly. "You got in late last night."

Katy hesitated for a split second and then shrugged. "Lost track of time."

"Where were you?"

"Out!" The young woman answered irritably. "God! Get off my case!"

Ronnie frowned at her, reaching out and grasping her daughter's wrist as she grabbed for a mug on the counter. "Where were you?"

"Just out!"

Wrenching her arm free, she pushed past and went into the living room where she hoped Ronnie would give up on the argument. Carefully throwing a cartoon of juice to Amy, Katy poked the straw into the other she had brought with her and handed it to her daughter.

"Who with?"

"No one important!"

Their argument was prevented from going any further by the sound of the back door opening and Roxy moving around in the room met their ears. The blonde shot her daughter a look, before returning to the kitchen to confront her sister. Unwilling to miss out on that particular conversation, the young woman slid off the arm of the chair and followed her mum to the back of the house.

"_Amy's been asking where you were._" Ronnie said coldly as Roxy took a long gulp from a bottle of water. Katy slipped past her and pulled herself up to sit on the counter and watch the show. "_So I told her that you popped out early._"

"_That would a lie then, wouldn't it?_"

"_Can you make sure you pack the nice Roxy before we go to Ibiza, please?_"

Roxy huffed irritably. "_I dropped my scarf somewhere._" She muttered turning and slamming out through the back door just as Phil entered the room.

"Off." He snapped at the brunette, waiting until she reluctantly slid off the counter top and leant against it instead.

"_You know she's still sleeping with Carl, don't you?_" Ronnie informed her step-brother, nodding after her sister.

"_I don't care._"

"_It's the third night in a row that she hasn't even been home._"

"_Listen, if she wants to behave like a spoilt cow then it's down to her,_" Phil said with a shrug, "_I ain't looking out for her anymore. Anyway, doing it your way... you're just gonna push her away, ain't ya?_"

"_So what am I supposed to do? Am I just supposed to pretend–?_"

"_I've, uh, invited Sharon over._" Phil cut across her, evidently not interested in anything else she had to say on the subject. "_Denny's been ill all weekend so I haven't had a chance to see her._"

"_So she's more important now, is she?_" Ronnie asked with a scowl. "_Sorry, I'm confused. So does that mean you and her are back together, then?_"

"Gross." Katy muttered, shaking her head and curling her lip in disdain at the thought of the older blonde.

"_Ronnie, it's nothing to do with you, alright?_ It's nothing to do with either of you, so keep your opinions to yourself, alright, 'cos I don't care what you think."

"_Well, I'm surprised,_" Ronnie said, leaning down to put the water bottle Roxy had left on the table back in the fridge as the back door opened, "_I always thought you'd end up with Shirley._"

Katy couldn't help a snort of laughter escaping as Sharon walked through the back door and caught her mother's sentence. Ronnie straightened up and met the other woman's eye defiantly, while Sharon looked quickly at Phil.

"I got your text."

Ronnie shot Phil a sarcastic smile, before turning and pulling her still laughing daughter out of the kitchen. They shut the door behind them, leaving Sharon and Phil to their conversation in peace. Neither of the Mitchell women wanted to hear what they were talking about.

Leaving her mother to sort out the two children in the living room Katy went up to her bedroom to get dressed. She quickly sent Max a text as she applied her makeup, but received a message back telling her that he was away at a car auction and wouldn't be back 'til late that evening.

Downstairs, she found Ronnie going through Roxy's bag on the kitchen table. Rising an eyebrow, she leant in the doorway watching for a moment.

"Rox'll kill you, you know that, right?"

"I'm looking for keys, alright?" Her mother replied defensively, glancing up at her. "Unless you know where mine are?"

Katy shook her head. "I have no idea, unless they're in the bowl in the living room."

"I've looked there."

The blonde pulled out Roxy's keys and then paused, her hand stilling inside the bag for a moment, before she drew it out slowly. Her eyes were fixed on whatever was in her hand and Katy moved forward to get a better look at the object.

"Is that...?" Katy asked, furrowing her eyebrows at the little bag containing white powder that Ronnie was holding. She rounded the table and Ronnie moved to the sink. "Mum?"

Watching as her mother emptied the contents of the bag into the sink, Katy's head whipped round as she heard the tell-tale click of Roxy's heels and stared at her wide-eyed as her aunt entered the kitchen. The younger blonde's gaze was fixed on her sister and she scowled furiously at her.

"_What the hell d'you think you're doing?_" Roxy demanded. Ronnie stared at her defiantly as she turned on the tap, letting the water wash the powder away. "Ronnie? What are you doing?"

"I'm out of here." Katy muttered, sensing the tension rising dramatically and slipped past her aunt.

She hurried down the hall and grabbed her jacket from the hooks, before walking out of the front door. She could hear the shouting from the kitchen, even as the door slammed shut behind her. Briefly she considered going back in and taking Amy and Ruby with her, but then she reasoned that Ronnie and Roxy couldn't murder each other if the two little girls were inside.

On her way to the café, Katy spotted Max and Abi talking to Shirley's brother and his son and her eyes narrowed. Pulling out her mobile, she sent him a quick text.

**'Funny looking car auction. If you didn't want to see me, you could have just said. I'm a big girl, I can handle it.'**

**'Plans changed. The auction was cancelled. Come round later.'**

**'Don't really fancy it. Maybe tomorrow.'**

Stuffing her phone into her pocket, she sped up to catch up with Shirley and Tina who were heading back in the direction of the Vic. She grinned at them as they paused to wait for her and all three started walking slowly towards the pub.

As they reached the doors, Tina excused herself and doubled back, but Shirley and Katy went inside. The brunette took a seat at the bar, while Shirley walked around it and poured them both drinks. Linda frowned in annoyance at the move, but refrained from doing anything more than sniffing disapprovingly and wandering away.

"So, how are things in the magical world of the Mitchells?" The older woman asked, taking a gulp of her drink.

Katy shrugged. "The usual. Mum and Rox are arguing, Phil's a brainless goon, Billy's fucking useless and Lola's a self-absorbed airhead; just another normal day in Mitchell land. How is it being in the Vic?"

"Brilliant. Seeing Sharon's face is just priceless."

"Eurgh." The younger woman pulled a face. "Bitch Barbie was round ours this morning. I think her and Phil are together again. It's sick."

Shirley said nothing, but drained her glass swiftly and moved to pour herself another. She glanced at Katy, who nodded, finished her own drink and passed the glass across the bar.

* * *

**_A/N: Thanks to everyone who is reading this! I hope you're still enjoying it! Leave me a review, maybe? ;)_**

**_Special thanks to _RHatch89_ for your review on the last chapter!_**


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